Arms of Edward the Confessor
South facing window, one a pair of windows composed largely of medieval glass with some restoration (the coloured borders appear to be Victorian, along with a third window which appears to be more thoroughly renewed).
Woodhouse church is dedicated as St Mary in the Elms, a fitting dedication for a church surrounded by trees in its wedge-shaped churchyard (flanked by a busy main road and the quieter lane from which its entrance is approached).
This church has a rather unusual appearance which I found surprisingly secular in many ways, certainly the quirkiest of the many church buildings we'd visited on this expedition. The main vessel consists of a nave and chancel with little structural distinction between the two parts and nearly all the windows are straight-headed (and mostly devoid of ornamental flourishes). The most peculiar element of all is the west tower with its steeply-pitched pyramid-roof, looking more like a fanciful focal feature of some Victorian-Gothic mansion, the chimney breaking through its eastern face further reinforcing the oddly domestic feel of the building.
After the strange exterior the interior has a more comfortingly 'church-like' air and has obviously been much restored in the Victorian period (when presumably the north aisle was added). The glazing is mostly of the Victorian period, but in a couple of windows remains some earlier glass in the form of quarries and shields which appear to be of 15th century date.
I liked this church, it's something rather different with its unusual form. I suspect it's normally kept locked outside of services but is worth a look if one gets the chance.
Arms of Edward the Confessor
South facing window, one a pair of windows composed largely of medieval glass with some restoration (the coloured borders appear to be Victorian, along with a third window which appears to be more thoroughly renewed).
Woodhouse church is dedicated as St Mary in the Elms, a fitting dedication for a church surrounded by trees in its wedge-shaped churchyard (flanked by a busy main road and the quieter lane from which its entrance is approached).
This church has a rather unusual appearance which I found surprisingly secular in many ways, certainly the quirkiest of the many church buildings we'd visited on this expedition. The main vessel consists of a nave and chancel with little structural distinction between the two parts and nearly all the windows are straight-headed (and mostly devoid of ornamental flourishes). The most peculiar element of all is the west tower with its steeply-pitched pyramid-roof, looking more like a fanciful focal feature of some Victorian-Gothic mansion, the chimney breaking through its eastern face further reinforcing the oddly domestic feel of the building.
After the strange exterior the interior has a more comfortingly 'church-like' air and has obviously been much restored in the Victorian period (when presumably the north aisle was added). The glazing is mostly of the Victorian period, but in a couple of windows remains some earlier glass in the form of quarries and shields which appear to be of 15th century date.
I liked this church, it's something rather different with its unusual form. I suspect it's normally kept locked outside of services but is worth a look if one gets the chance.